The present invention relates to containment of stagnant, polluted, and/or contaminated liquids and in particular to containment, filtration, and discharge of the stagnant, polluted, and/or contaminated water released from sprinkler systems during periodic testing.
Although the water entering a sprinkler system is generally potable water, there are subsequent effects which may drastically reduce the quality of the water in such systems. This water often remains in the sprinkler system for one or more years becoming contaminated, stagnant, and stale, having a very foul odor. Black iron pipe is generally used since it is more economical than potable piping, but unfortunately black iron pipe is prone to rusting which contaminates water residing in the black iron pipe. Also, new black iron pipe has an oil coating to protect it from rusting between manufacture and installation. This oil coating also contaminates the water.
In addition to the effects of using black iron pipe, the water residing in fire sprinkler lines in most buildings is contaminated with pollutants including chemicals, toxins, and disease causing agents. Nitrates, poly-phosphates and other corrosive inhibitors, as well as fire suppressants and anti-freeze may be added to the sprinkler water system as well. Also, between sprinkler system flushes, the water residing in the pipes may accumulate iron, magnesium, lead, copper, nickel, and zinc. This water generally becomes toxic and contains living and dead bacteria and breakdown products from chlorination. This may result in a significant Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) problem. The BOD is a measure of the amount of oxygen required for the biochemical degradation of organic material in a water sample.
Such sprinkler systems are common in both residential and commercial building. Because of the obvious safety issues with reliance on a sprinkler system, periodic testing of sprinkler systems is required by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards (NFPA13). Such tests generally include draining and flushing stagnant, polluted, and/or contaminated water from the sprinkler systems and generally results in the stagnant, polluted, and/or contaminated water run off into the storm drains. The sprinkler tests include a Quarterly Fire Sprinkler Test, a Quarterly Drain Test, a Yearly Flow Test, a 5-Year Fire Sprinkler Certification Test, and a Flush Test for all new fire sprinkler system installations.
The Quarterly Fire Sprinkler Test includes placing an intentionally broken sprinkler head at the end of a sprinkler pipe to simulate an actual fire sprinkler activation. Fire sprinklers are designed to include an inspector's test valve attached with one inch piping leading to the outside of the building. Once the inspector's test valve is opened, it detects the broken sprinkler head and simulates an actual fire sprinkler activation. The inspector attempts to confirm that the local bell for the building goes off and also that a monitoring company has received a signal indicating that the sprinkler system has been activated. Stagnant, polluted, and/or contaminated water is released during this test and generally runs off into storm drains leading to streams, lakes and beaches.
The Quarterly Drain Test is required by the NFPA and insurance companies and requires opening a drain valve at a sprinkler riser for a few seconds and then closing the drain valve quickly to see how quickly a pressure gauge returns to normal pressure. The Quarterly Drain Test assures that a main valve out in the street is open and has not been accidentally closed by a public works employee. Again, the stagnant, polluted, and/or contaminated water released during this test generally runs off into the storm drains leading to streams, lakes and beaches.
The Yearly Flow Test is required by the NFPA on public and on-site fire hydrants (hydrants on private properties). The hydrant's valve is exercised and flowed. A diffuser is connected to a 2½ inch outlet on the fire hydrant and a pilot tube is used to measure the flow in Gallons Per Minute (GPM) and residual pressure when the valve is fully open. Again, stagnant, polluted, and/or contaminated water is released during this test and generally runs off into the storm drains leading to streams, lakes and beaches.
The Five Year Sprinkler Certification Test is perhaps the most important of all the fire sprinkler tests because without this certification, occupancy of the building cannot be granted. A portion of the Five Year Sprinkler Test requires that a backflush test be performed. The backflush test requires that a check valve located by the Fire Department Connection (FDC) be reversed or blocked in the open position in order to perform the test. This procedure requires one to shut-off the main control valve and to remove (generally unbolt), reverse the check valve, the control valve is then opened allowing water to run freely out to the FDC outlets which is an FDC inlet during normal operation. Such backflush insures that the FDC is free and clear of any obstructions, debris or foreign objects. If an FDC is clogged by such debris, or even merely contains such debris, the debris may enter the sprinkler system and may cause damage to the fire sprinkler system and/or make the system inoperable or less effective. The FDC is normally located by the sidewalk a few feet from the storm drains. The Five Year Sprinkler Certification Test is usually witnessed by the Fire Department to confirm that the FDC is clear. When this test is performed, the stagnant, polluted, and/or contaminated water released during the test generally runs off into the storm drains leading to streams, lakes and beaches.
Another NFPA requirement is that all new fire sprinkler system installations must have a Flush Test performed. The fire sprinkler system receives water from a Water Department's main potable water system (or main) generally running under a street in front of the building containing the system. An underground utilities company is usually contracted to perform a Hot Tap into the main. This requires specialized equipment to cut into the main while it is still containing water under pressure and install a control valve. The underground contractor then runs underground piping to the property line. The fire sprinkler contractor takes over at the property line and continues the underground piping, installing a backflow preventor, an FDC, and a control valve. Prior to connecting into the sprinkler's riser, the Flush Test of the underground piping is required. This test is witnessed by the Fire Department. Often, the water in the underground piping is black, contains oil, metal shavings, debris, etc. This stagnant, polluted, and/or contaminated water generally is released into the storm drains leading to streams, lakes and beaches.
In addition to periodic testing, in the course of a tenant improvement project, the standard procedure for a Fire Sprinkler Contractor is to drain the sprinkler system. However, some trapped water remains in the lines and is later emptied into, for example, a 55 gallon drum with wheels. A serviceman dumps the water, which often includes stagnant, polluted, and/or contaminated water, to the curb which leads to the storm drains leading to streams, lakes and beaches.
The release of contaminated water into storm drains not only causes sickness, but sometimes even deaths in humans, animals and aquatic life. This water pollution problem, along with other industrial wastes, has contributed to rendering several recreational areas, streams, lakes and beaches completely contaminated and unsafe.
The “Federal Clean Water Act” requires that the fire sprinkler waste water flushed from a sprinkler system be directed to a sewer leading into a water treatment plant. Under no circumstances should fire sprinkler water containing high levels of pollutants be allowed to enter the storm drains. The illegal practice of allowing contaminated fire sprinkler water to enter the storm drains has been ongoing for decades, perhaps since fire sprinklers were first introduced to the public, in spite of stiff fines and penalties from the Water Districts. Because of the present difficulty in satisfying the Federal Clean Water Act, sprinkler system tests are still conducted which allow the polluted water to enter storm drains.
Although some municipalities have started requiring containment of this flushed polluted water when performing these tests, known apparatus and methods have failed. Some have suggested running hoses connected to the FDC directly to a sewer line. Unfortunately, the sewer lines are often blocks away from the FDC and this procedure would require traffic control since the sewer plates are located in the middle of the streets. Also, the fire inspectors would have to be present at the street sewer plate to witness the clear water indicating that the FDC has been flushed and cleared.
Another proposed method is to have a waste management disposal company collect the water and then transfer it to a water treatment plant. But to coordinate with a fire inspector and a waste management disposal company is problematic. Because of the fire department inspector's heavy workload, they are often late for these scheduled tests. The added cost to contract a waste management disposal company, and have them also wait for the inspector, would have to be passed on to the business owner and would be cost prohibitive.